This invention relates to fluid jet systems that are used to remove material from various surfaces using a fluid dispersed under pressure through a nozzle. Such systems may be used in both industrial and commercial settings for removing material such as oil, grease, anti-freeze, paint, blood, waste, soil, rubber, chemicals and so forth from various surfaces. In some applications the invention may be utilized to maintain the effectiveness and safety of paved surfaces such as roads, runways, or pavements by removing material that may be substantially detrimental to their quality or use.
In many applications it is desirable for the fluid jet system to provide the maximum coverage of fluid in order to remove the maximum amount of material from the surfaces being engaged without sacrificing any degree of fluid pressure. This is particularly important in applications where it may be difficult or costly to engage the same surface multiple times because of inefficient coverage or loss of pressure. In order to achieve the greatest amount of surface coverage, some fluid jet systems have been developed to incorporate rotating nozzles that may provide a wider range of spray of fluid, comparative to stationary nozzles. Rotary nozzle systems for example have proven to increase the overall fluid coverage however, by design, these systems often incorporate a rotary joint about a spindle that must be sealed in order to maintain the appropriate pressure to produce the required velocity of fluid spray. Many rotary systems that incorporate such spindles are often plagued with seal failure issues which drastically affects service life and often requires regular maintenance in order to keep the system in operation This is especially true when fluid pressure is increased causing the spindles to rotate faster which in turn increase the chances of seal failure because of wear. Increased fluid pressure in excess of 100 psi in some systems, can also cause various other components of the jet fluid system, including nozzles, to erode prematurely as a result of being exposed to excessive forces in a highly pressurized environment. When the nozzles begin to fail the overall effectiveness of the system to remove materials from surfaces is also drastically reduced and the system may become ineffective.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,854 by Yie, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses a nozzle cone and an oscillating fluid-jet nozzle system capable of producing relatively high velocity, high frequency oscillating fluid jets useful in waterjetting and other industrial spray applications.